More Serious Games
by Annalay
Summary: A sequel to Stupid Kissing Games, this time Tony will be even more himself! Our perfect couple would have to deal with what happen in New York and the events of IM1 and especially all the things that happened in between what we have seen on screen!. Because when you think about that their feeling must come from somewhere! (No, it is not a novelization) Please R&R.
1. Five Months Later

**A/N: OK the sequel to Stupid Kissing Games is there I know it was long but I have experience something that most people here describe as an author block! But it is gone, I hope, and I'm back. So I proudly present the first chapter (unbeta so all mistakes are mine and I'm sorry for them, I have read that like 10th times but I'm pretty sure I left something awful. But I just want to check if this is good enough to bother my beta:D))**

**PS. It will be somewhere in the IM1 so if you don't like spoilers there will be a few! **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, no Iron Man, I'm doing it for fun!**

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_MORE SERIOUS GAMES _

_Chapter 1 Five months later_

"You are mad at me." Just one look at her was enough to come to that conclusion and Tony didn't waste time to voice it. '_What the hell I did this time'_ he wished to finish but bit his lips.

"No I'm not." She deflected calmly when inside something was holding her stomach in a tight grip. '_I have no reason to be mad at you, haven't I?'_ she finished in her head.

"Oh come on you are, you are just not saying why." He insisted. Over the last months he became more and more aware of her moods '_I just can't understand most of the things that are happening around here lately, you have made your choice!'_ he thought darkly still looking at his PA.

"I have too many things to do than explaining something that it isn't." She answered sternly locking eyes with him '_I hate it when you go there. You're always getting back with some woman friend, and I hate it' _she was trying to say_ that _to him just by casting him her most famous dark look.

"Fine, whatever I'm going." He said frustrated throwing his hands in the air in defeat 'On_e word and I will stay here'_ he was thinking, still looking in her blue yes. He could swear that she wasn't telling him everything and this conversation would be going nowhere until she just screamed her mind at him.

"Have a nice trip Mr. Stark." She retrieved to formalities. '_God I will miss you and I'm still so mad at you for going'_ she was trying to say but her stubborn composed self, took all control of her lately and nothing could change that. She was just too afraid to act on her feeling and even more cautious.

"Miss Potts." He acknowledged that it was the end of the conversation and nodded his head going to the door '_I somehow wish you will be coming with me'_ he thought and smiled to himself. Like nothing had changed since New York when everything has changed.

The door closed behind Tony and Pepper was left alone in his big living room, last conversation was still ringing in her ears. If anyone would presume that she forgot about past event and sorted her feeling for her boss that would be a fat mistake. Ever since that eventful night at New York they started some wired dance around each other pulling and pushing each other in turns and it was frustrating to say the least. There were unfinished conversations, some major fights that none of them remembered what had started and definitely something unresolved and unspoken hung between them. But their professional relationship was intact. Tony was once again his old genius, philanthropist, playboy self and she was still his composed and professional PA.

Except that, there were times like that that she just wished to scream at him and tell him everything. But she had got her chance and she had let it passed, there was no reason to be mad at him for decision she had made five months ago.

After some time Pepper put her unfinished work to her bag and decided to head home. Sitting on his sofa until he would return from Las Vegas would be long, uncomfortable and probably difficult to explain. And she had some small plans to prepare for herself as well. As much as she wished he would remembered this time, she was pretty sure the next day would be as normal as the rest of her birthdays for ten years with him. Well things never were going to change between them, no matter how much she was wishing they would.

'_I hate it, I have hated it even before everything but now I just hate it even more'_ Pepper was thinking walking past front door of the Stark mansion in Malibu. Why couldn't he stay in the hotel, why he must have brought her here. '_Well this is his home and as long as I remember he can bring whoever he want here, and here is the workshop he can escape in the morning.'_ Some small part of her mind answered her. She keyed her personal code in and JARVIS opened the door, she readjusted the clothes she had picked up from dry cleaning and prepared herself for her job.

There was some movement in the living room and she assumed correctly, there was indeed some skimpy clothed girl walking around Tony's living room. '_I hate this job, I hate her and most definitely I hate him right now'_ she thought darkly looking at the blond girl in front of her poking on the intercom.

"That's JARVIS he runs the house." Pepper spoke and thought to herself that better started it fast and just be done with it. She needed to push Tony through the door so he didn't miss the plane and as long as his last conquest would be here he would not stick his head out from the shop. '_Very mature of him'_

"You must be the famous Pepper Potts." The blond girl turned around and looked at Pepper. She was wearing Tony's shirt, Pepper made a mental note to get rid of it. She wasn't controlling half of the thoughts which were running through her head at that moment. Most of them were very murderous.

"Indeed I am." She answered as much politely as she could.

"After all these years, Tony still has you picking up the dry-cleaning." The girls spoke and Pepper was fighting with her composed self to maintain professional and just did not kill her then and there.

"I do anything and everything that Mr. Stark requires," She started faking a smile on her face and the rest of the sentence was just her anger finding a way out. "Including, occasionally, taking out the trash." '_Some people are alive only because murder is illegal' _she added darkly in her head. "Will that be all?" she deadpanned with a smile on her face. She was good with her job.

"I would like to say goodbye to Tony." The girl answered darkly, glaring at Pepper's last comment.

"He is not in the house I think Mr. Stark is on the plane now so I would appreciated if you leave because I have other things to do." Pepper lied smoothly not even blinking, it had been so good rehearsed with the others over the years and it had always worked. The blond girl understood and silently took the clothes from her hand. Twenty minutes later Pepper was alone and she was heading downstairs to the workshop when the phone rang. Rhodey's voice demanded Tony's presence like right now and Pepper was trying to explain that she would do everything to get him there as soon as possible. She was also quite angry at Tony so on purpose she forgot to take his coffee downstairs. She saw him hunched over the hot rod. He was wearing some old blue jeans and a T-shirt, definitely not the clothes for the presentation he was due to leave like an hour ago.

"I'm gonna try again, right now…" She was finishing speaking to Rhodey punching in the code to the door and pushing the sound button turning the music down.

"Please don't turn down my music." Tony sounded annoyed and deep in his thinking mode.

"I'll keep you posted…" She hung up with the Colonel and looked at Tony trying to sound polite when inside she was wishing to just scream at him.

"You are supposed to be halfway around the world right now." She huffed at him '_Not in bed with another cheap treat, what were you thinking?'_ those unfinished sentence would kill her someday.

"How'd she take it?" He asked in his head it meant_ 'Did she leave?'_

"Like a champ." She answered trying to sound professional 'Y_ou just know how to pick them'_

"Why are you trying to hustle me out of here?" He asked, finally looking at her. She looked beautiful like always he somehow registered '_Are you mad at me? Well, no coffee, you are mad at me, could you just tell me what you want and be done with it'_ he wondered silently if he ever would have the courage to voice those sentences he was thinking right now.

"Your flight was scheduled to leave an hour and a half ago." She informed him trying to sound as casual as every day but her eyes lost their sparks and he could see it.

"That's funny, I thought with it being my plane and all that it would just wait for me to get there…." He tried to explain something, which for him was very obvious, he would do only what he want with his time and no one would be telling him what to do.

Oh maybe except Pepper Potts when she was glaring at him like that.

"Tony, I need to speak to you about a couple things before I get you out of the door." She cut him mid-sentence '_and no I am not brave enough to say what I really want'_

"Doesn't it kind of defeat the whole purpose of having your own plane if it departs before you arrive?" He finished as if she didn't interrupted him before and was trying to distract himself from her piercing blue eyes by cleaning his hands in some rug that he found on the table.

"Larry called. He's got another buyer for the Jackson Pollock in the wings. Do you want it? Yes or no." Back to business '_and I really want this painting so if you would say yes…'_

"Is it a good representation of his spring period?" Tony questioned trying to sound very professional like art was his major, not something he spent his money to pay lower taxes. She didn't need to know how ignorant he could be sometimes.

"No. The Springs was actually the neighborhood in East Hampton where he lived and worked, not "spring" like the season." She frowned at him '_Do you have any idea what you are talking about?'._

"So?" Tony was trying very hard to still sound professional '_Busted, I do not know anything about art that's way I have you in my life, can I actually say it to her at loud?'_

"I think it's a fair example. I think it's incredibly overpriced." She finished answering his question '_unfortunately it is true but since money was a problem to you?'_

"I need it. Buy it. Store it." He offered standing up and walking to the workshop coffee machine. As much as he preferred her to bring his coffee (which was the same coffee that was in the machine downstairs) he knew that today he would not get it from her. It was some sort of punishment she was giving him and he had no idea for what it was but he presumed he deserved. '_Better that than the silent treatment_' he added darkly in his mind.

"Okay. The MIT commencement speech..." she checked another thing on her list and started talking again.

"Is in June. Please, don't harangue me about stuff that's way, way, down..." He started pushing the button on the coffee machine which sprang to life making cracking noises and unfold an aromatic smell.

"They're haranguing me, so I'm gonna say yes." She finished his sentence and noted down something on her pad.

"Deflect it and absorb it. Don't transmit it back to me." He said in exasperated tone. '_Deflection is something you are very good at Miss Potts aren't you, we had a solid proof of that couple of months ago' _she would kill him if he ever said that at loud and then gave him her resignation so he definitely kept his mouth shut.

"I need you to sign this before you get on the plane." She pushed some paper in front of him holding a sliver pen up.

"What are you trying to get rid of me for? What, you got plans?" He asked looking closely at her '_You aren't having plans, are you? Most definitely not some that I would not participate in…' _

"As a matter of fact, I do." She answered truthfully still looking in his eyes.

"I don't like it when you have plans." he spoke fast '_Oh shit I have said that at loud, haven't I? But I really don't like when you have plans without me. Oh yeah like we ever had any plans together'. _Where did that offending last thought come from? 'A_m I going back to my delusional state?'_ He was wondering silently listening to her answer.

"I'm allowed to have plans on my birthday." She answered sheepishly '_Oh yes my birthday, do you remember about it? And was that woman upstairs a present because I honestly couldn't tell?'. _She could see that something flashed in his eyes for a brief moment but then this famous Stark smug smile took its place.

"It's your birthday?" he asked trying to buy him some time '_Oh God did I forget again? Yes I did, judging by the look in her eyes.'_

"Yes." She answered still looking into his eyes; it was mesmerizing just to look into them. She could tell that it was one of the best presents to stare shamelessly into his eyes right now watching how he was trying to dig his way from this situation.

"I knew that. Already?" He assured, not sounding very convincing but trying to smile his way out of it '_what should I do? Think faster you genius one'_ He mentally kicked himself.

"Yeah. Isn't that strange? It's the same day as last year." She said in light tone letting him off the hook he was squirming long enough for her to remember that he actually felt embarrassed for couple of second. It was Tony Stark and getting him embarrassed about something was a challenge to say the least.

"Get yourself something nice from me." He answered finally finding the right answer '_Money it is always the answer, isn't it?_

"I already did." She quipped.

"And?" he inquired '_can I see it? Oh please let it be some underwear, and since it is a present I bought I should approved it, shouldn't I?'_

"It was very nice." She informed plainly '_No you will not see it and no it wasn't underwear so you could stop grinning at me'_

"Yeah." he added, _'God I think she can read my mind, is it possible that she can? Taking into consideration all those years it is very likely'_ he was thinking absent – mindly.

"Very tasteful. Thank you, Mr. Stark." A proper thank you was in order so Pepper finished this wired conversation as much professional as she could.

"You're welcome, Miss Potts." Back to business tone, Tony thought sadly, _'Have I ever told you how much I like those silent conversation with you Pepper?_ he added in his head. '_I just wish that one day we would say everything that was left unsaid. And I just wish that I would be able to see this present of yours sooner or later.' _

Tony finished his coffee in one big gulp and headed for the car, he could as well as go to that stupid presentation in Afghanistan, his Pepper and their unfinished conversations and unresolved feeling would be waiting for him at home.

When he was driving away from the garage he looked at the rearview mirror at Pepper watching him leaving. He thought that he was a really lucky guy having someone like her to be going back home to, no matter how complicated their relationship was lately.

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Note: As always reviews are very welcome. Please tell me what you think I knid of know where I want to take that story I just don't know if I should bother to write it! :D -Ann


	2. Coming Home

**A/N: OK, I was almost convinced to write another chapter :D as always I really hope you will enjoy it! I decided to skip Afghanistan (well because it was just too depressing to write, maybe I will go back to it later) **

**I apologise for all the mistakes!**

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**Ch#2 Coming Back**

_'No, I don't think he will notice that the drinks are color coordinated'_ she thought distracted looking once again at the fridge in the workshop. It was four in the morning and Pepper had spent more than an hour arranging the bottles of various drinks in the fridge according to their colors. Well, she was perfectly sane or at least she still thought about herself as a sane person but she just couldn't wait any longer. The hours since she had picked up the phone from Rhodey had been passing painfully slowly and as long as she had been busy during that day when the night had fallen it was impossible to cope with the sluggishness of the clock. Pepper had never in her life experienced such a long night as that one. She had stopped the fight to sleep around one in the morning and just had gone to Tony's Mansion.

She had been here every day during those three months but it had never been so painful as today. And today should have been a happy day. _'He is going back home, he will be here in mere hours and finally you will be able to look at him again'_ she thought to herself trying to compose herself.

The last three months had been a living hell. Not only had she been forced to convince each and every one from the company that HE WOULD be back because he was Tony Stark and he had done more incredible things on daily basis, but also she had to convince herself the same thing every day. As long as the SI had been easier to convince, her own self had been a tough fight.

There had been nights that she had woken up crying from a dream she hadn't remembered but it had left her dark and at loss of hope. There had been nights that she had dreamed of their last conversation before he had left and as much as she had wanted to say other things then. But most nights had been filled with dreams of his dark eyes and smile hunting her and flashing before her eyes whenever she had closed them. If she'd had doubts about her feelings toward him before, all of them had vanished the moment she had heard about his capture.

It had been a memorable day. It had been a day after her birthday celebration and she had been happy to have a free day for herself. Tony had been in Afghanistan, her friends as always had made her a nice birthday party (but small as she hadn't had too many friends mostly because her work) and she'd had the next day free to do what she wanted. So why had she woken up with a dark feeling that day she hadn't known yet. When she had answered Rhodey's call, she had been sure he had called her because Tony had misbehaved again and Rhodey had needed some help. But the dark feeling she had got up with hadn't left her alone and when she had heard Rhodes words she had almost collapsed on the floor. After a brief pause the disbelief had come and she could have only thought that it had been a mistake or some sick joke. But as the day had progressed she had been forced to believe that it hadn't been a mistake and he had been truly taken away from her.

To be honest Pepper hadn't remembered much from that day, maybe only the fact that she hadn't moved from her sofa for couple of hours and she somehow had managed to stop crying and force herself to go to work the next day.

And ever since that day she had just pretended that he had been away and he would come back any day. So she had made sure that his house was operating and ready for his comeback even if she had been forced to eat all the food she had stored in the fridge for him every week. She had kept company to JARVIS and she knew deep down that it had been more for her own well-being. One thing she had refused to do during those three months, it had been going to his workshop. It had been impossible, it had been out of the question and she had knew deep down her heart that if she would have gone downstairs there had been no way she could look at his beloved place without losing her fragile hope of him being just away. It had been enough that she had almost seen him everywhere. In the kitchen when he had complained about something to eat just a few days ago, in the living room where he had sprawled on the sofa idly going through channels making her angry because she had been trying to work there. There had been no chance she would survive going to his favorite place, looking at his robots and pretending (as she had been doing for the three months) that he would be back like tomorrow making her life complicated again.

Oh, and she had finally stopped to deny that she hadn't been in love with him. Because this hole she had inside her ever since he had been gone was like someone had just ripped her heart out and sent it to Afghanistan in pieces.

Pepper closed the fridge door and looked around the workshop. Everything was like he had left it even his coffee mug was at the same spot she had remembered it from the three months. The last conversation they'd had here was playing in her mind and for a hundredth time she regretted not telling him half the things she had wanted that day.

She had made a promise to herself that if he would be home; if he actually would be coming home in six hours she would tell him everything. Pepper sighed tiredly and looked at his beaten up sofa. She reluctantly, as if it could bite her, walked to that furniture and sat at the edge. She could almost smell his unique scent on the pillows. After fighting with herself for couple of minutes she just curled in a ball on the sofa and hugged one of his pillows, not long after the first tears started to flow lulling her to sleep.

'OK I look like crap' she thought to herself when she was looking in the mirror in the morning. She had only sleet for three hours on the beaten up sofa in Tony's workshop and now she was trying to hide her dark circles under her eyes with some makeup. Unfortunately she was falling miserably with that. Happy was waiting in the driveway to take her to the military base where the plane with Tony on board would land in an hour and she could only think how unprofessional she looked today. She put on her dark brown suit jacket heading for the door, looking one last time on the mansion. Everything was ready and waiting for Tony to come home. She was so tired and emotional that only thinking about that was making her cry again. And she was really trying not to.

Happy nodded his good morning to her and held the door for her, saying nothing about her look although she was sure he noticed. The drive to the military airport was as long as the night before, Pepper knew that it was only forty minutes but for her it was way too long. She had been freaking waiting for three month and that damned forty minutes were just a borderline for her nerves. But finally they were on place and waiting for the plane to finish the landing procedure and just stopped. When the cargo hatch finally opened and she saw him standing up form a wheelchair, his arm in a sling, but still bearing this famous Stark look on his face she almost took a double step back to just lean over the limo for a second. Every cell in her body screamed at her to run to him, to hold him, to tell him everything but she just froze. She was so happy to finally see him that she couldn't think of anything else than just looking at him. Her breath caught in her throat making her even more dizzy and she could feel her heart beating frantically against her ribs. Rhodey helped him to walk down ramp and he was finally close enough her so she could look into his eyes. They locked their eyes together as on mutual understanding, Tony walked closer to her not losing the eye contact with her and finally he stand in front of her. He looked different; it was the first thing that came to her mind. He looked tired, beaten up and his eyes lost that spark which was always there. And it was the most painful discovery she acknowledge, she had dreamed about those eyes almost every day and now when finally she was staring into those beautiful dark brown eyes of his there was no spark there. She was fighting the urge to reach and caress his cheek, to lock him in her embrace and tell him that everything was all right. But her brain didn't work and her body was betraying her so she needed all the strength of her common sense to fight the tears that was threatened to fall.

"Your eyes are red." Tony said. And he hated that statement ever since it had left his mouth '_God I have miss you_' was far better but he just couldn't say it could he? So he continued in as much light tone he could muster. "A few tears for your long-lost boss?" He was finally back, he was finally home and he was looking at the woman who became a definition of home for the last three months. He still remembered where he'd left 'them' when leaving so he needed to went back to being 'them' again, just for now, just for the sake of finally feeling at home. And there was nothing better than pretending that nothing happen and he was still the same person only little beaten up. She was smiling this beautiful smile of her, biting her bottom lip down and his brain could only think about how wonderful was to be back to see that smile again. He was trying very hard not to think about her lips, maybe that's way he tried to act as much normal as he could.

"Tears of joy. I hate job hunting." She answered as much lightly as she could _'Oh God I have miss you, I have to do something with my hands other way I will just throw myself at you'_ she was thinking foggy and fighting with herself. She couldn't stop looking into his eyes. _'I want that spark back, what should I do to see it back'_

"Yeah, vacation's over." He answered and he knew perfectly well that this conversation should sound totally different but he was so confused. He needed to make some rapid decisions now and he didn't want to involve his mixed feelings towards Pepper with what he needed and promised himself to do today. _'We will talk Pepper I swear but now… I can't think straight'_ he thought to himself and he just went to the car door.

"Where to, sir?" _'Happy always the professional one.'_ Pepper thought when she closed the door. "Take us to the hospital, please, Happy." She answered fast.

"No." Tony interrupted her in stern voice. Pepper looked at him with frowned face. She knew that Tony hated hospital on principle but in that situation he really should go to see a doctor.

"No? Tony, you have to…" She tried to reasoned with him using her most soft tone, trying very hard not to make him angry "… go to the hospital."

"No is a complete answer." He barked back at her fighting with anger. He didn't want to be angry at her and especially spat at her but he really didn't want to go to hospital. He wanted to go home and curl in his bed and just woke up tomorrow and discovered that all what had happened was a really bad dream. But he knew better than that and he promised something to himself in that cave and now when he came back he knew that he needed to keep his word to himself and to Yensen. He just didn't know how to explain that to Pepper yet.

"The doctor has to look at you." She tried again.

"I don't have to do anything." He said even angrier. _'Please Pepper not now, not today, just do what I want, please I don't want to fight with you I don't want to take it out on you'_ he thought darkly and just bore his dark eyes into her and continued. "I've been in captivity for three months. There are two things I want to do. I want an American cheeseburger and the other..."

"That's enough of that." She rolled her eyes on him; if he was trying to make her mad he was doing a pretty good job talking like that. _'No way I will make that happen, if you want that, you will have to arrange that yourself…or…well I can… no I will never do it like that… or'_ how on earth she could think like that right now, maybe she was still in shock of his return. But Tony was saying something and she needed to focus.

"...is not what you think. I want you to call for a press conference now." He was finishing saying and she was even more surprised.

"Call for a press conference?" She asked in disbelief.

"Yeah." Came the short answered.

"What on earth for?" she asked again but dutifully took her the phone out and started to dial the number to make his wish.

"Hogan, drive. Cheeseburger first." Tony finished and leaned back in the seat trying to compose himself and start thinking what he needed to do next. Pepper was chatting silently on the phone arranging the press conference and he finally had time to look at her. She didn't change much, she was still raging beautiful and now wearing that confused and at the same focused look on her face she looked even prettier than he remembered. Suddenly he regretted the conversation they just had. He should say something nice to her before he started bark orders, he should tell her he missed her and he was thinking about going back to her every day for that horrible three months. But the words just escaped him then and now he was too scared to start this conversation again.

"Only the cheeseburgers Sir?" Hogan's words broke him from his train of thoughts and he discovered they were in the parking lot.

"Yeah..." He answered absent-minded and then he looked back at Pepper who was still writing something on her phone "Pepper anything?"

She just shook her head no and returned to writing. He frowned and looked back at Happy "On the second thought Hogan fries and vanilla shakes for everyone, it is a happy day after all" Happy just smiled and slipped out of the car. At the same time Pepper looked from the phone and she saw a glimpse of that old spark in Tony's eyes. She couldn't stop looking into his eyes and he didn't look away.

"I'm sorry for earlier." Tony said in a soft voice still looking at her, Pepper put down her phone and gazed back at him. "It's OK Tony…" She started and without thinking reached for his hand and squeezed it lightly. Tony was so surprised by her gesture that he almost pulled back from her touch. But her hand was warm, soft and so small, just as he remembered and for a split second he finally felt like home.

"It's not OK Pepper…" he started and tried to find the right words to explain her everything but failed miserably and just squeezed her hand in response. He was saved by Happy who returned loaded with food and in no time Tony had both his hands in a cheeseburger bag. Pepper tentatively was sipping her shake and just started at Tony who was chewing happily trying to bite two sandwiches at once. It was almost like the old times. Almost.

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**Note: OK there will be more! Definitely more between scenes we know from the movie because when you watch it you somehow miss all the unspoken things between Tony and Pepper, sometime there are like days skipped when so many things could happen and my mind is just wondering what happened there so... what do you think? Please leave a review or you can always PM me! -Ann **


	3. Home

A/N: OK the next chapter is here! I need to make them dance a little around each other before I let them be happy but the fluff is coming trust me. You will need to wait for the next chapter a little longer (kind of busy this weekend) but it will be there.

I would like to thank very much **louvreangel **who was kind enough to beta this story.** THANKS!**

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Ch3# Home

Going back home that day was something that Tony had been dreaming about ever since he finished that conversation with Obi. He was tired and confused and moreover he wanted a drink. So when he finally was able to shut the car door after biding a short goodbye to Hogan in front of his house, he was beyond relief. Until he crossed the threshold. JARVIS greeted him as soon as the door closed after him and then the house went silent. Somehow the first thought that came to his mind was why he didn't invite Pepper to go with him. She stayed at the office, too busy to even look at him when he went to her office. He gave her a fair amount of work with his press conference that day and he somehow felt sorry that he didn't prepare her for what would come. But he didn't know how to explain everything to her yet, so he did what he had been doing best for years - he acted on impulse. So he said a quick goodbye to her. He was trying to say something else which sounded more like 'I'm sorry' but he didn't voice it loud enough so before she had a chance to respond, he was out.

Tony wandered around his house for couple of minutes, absent-mindedly opening some cupboards in the kitchen, not really wanting to find anything. Then he followed his well-known path to his workshop. Everything was how he had left it. All his scattered papers and schematic were lying where he had thrown them so long ago. His dirty rug was still hanging from the corner of the workbench where he had hung it, before he had left that morning. Even his coffee mug was still siting perched at the closed lid of some tool box. He frowned. His house was spotless clean upstairs, the fridge was full, all the furniture was clean and dusted and he even had fresh flowers in the living room. But in his workshop nothing happened, like the time stopped for the three months he was out. He wondered if Pepper had forgotten about this place… or she just hadn't come down here when he was absent. He walked round the workshop touching and checking his things, patting his robots and talking to them in a soft voice as if they were dogs that he didn't see for a long time. Even Dummy had its fair share of greetings and kind words and if it was truly alive, it would store that memory for future barkings and yellings, which it knew very well would follow after that warm welcome. Finally Tony had collapsed on the sofa and just stared at the opposite wall. He didn't have the will or energy to switch on the TV. He just sat and listened to silent whooshing sounds of the 'boots coming alive and tried to clean. It was soothing, it was something he remembered, and it was something he called home. One thing was missing here and he couldn't really put his fingers on this feeling but he was just too tired to analyze what else was missing to call it truly home.

He woke up with a start sweating and breathing, fast the scenes from the cave still vivid in front of his eyes. It wasn't long since he had closed his eyes on the sofa in the workshop when his beaten up mind decided to again put him through the hell he was recently saved from. He sat up and wiped his sweaty face with his hand, and then discovered that his shirt was also drenched in sweat. He took it off with disgust and then stared into his arc reactor; its blue light was a significant part of his life now and he had gotten used to its constant presence. He drummed his fingers at the frame '_I need a new one, I need a better one, the one not built in a cave'_ he thought darkly to himself. He signed tiredly and looked at the sofa; sleep was out of the question, he would not get back to those nightmares. He got up and ventured to his coffee machine, when he switched it on he remembered the last time he had made himself coffee downstairs. It had been the day of the trip to Afghanistan and it had also been Pepper's birthday, which he had forgotten as usual. God he could be a royal ass sometimes. Suddenly he felt the impossible urge to just hear her voice. Somehow he wished she was still in the house so he could go and talk to her. It would make him feel normal again. He glanced at the clock taking a sip from his newly brewed coffee. One in the morning was flashing back at him. _'It is either too late or too early to call her' _he thought sadly, but when something like that had ever stopped him before? He just needed a good excuse to call her. After like the fifth tone her sleepy voice spoke from the other line of the phone and Tony couldn't help but smile.

"Hello."

"Pepper, could you tell me if there's some coffee in my house?" Tony said without blinking, staring down at his mug of dark liquid.

"What… Tony?" Pepper sleepy voice was beyond confused, what made Tony smile even wider. Potts in that state was just plain cute, he somehow wished she was here so he could look at her.

" Oh Miss Potts, I have been away only for three months and you already forgot my ability of consuming coffee." Tony was still smiling broadly into his mug trying not to sip loud enough for her to hear that.

"What, no, oh my God what time is it?" She sounded more awaken this time.

"Around one I think…" He answered dutifully, wincing at the time. He could let her sleep after that day he had put her through but a small part of him was so happy to be able to talk with her right now that his selfish side didn't let him to hang up.

"Oh OK… Coffee… That's weird because I was sure that the coffee machine was full this morning…" She said more awaken but still highly confused.

"I'm downstairs." He chipped in fast.

Pepper frowned at the other side of the line and lifted her up in the bed. She glanced at the bedside clock; it was 1:15 in the morning. She was really trying to wake up herself fast. In those ten years she got used to Tony's weird phone calls at wired hours but she was just very tired. She had gone to sleep half an hour ago after a whole day of trying to get some damage control of SI after Tony's press conference. So she had to excuse herself for not understanding half of the current phone call.

"Oh… There is a new packet in the kitchen cupboard, the first on the left…" She remembered finally where she had put the fresh packet when she had been restocking the kitchen lately. She wondered absent-mindedly how on earth she could forget to fill the coffee machine in the workshop.

Meanwhile when she was explaining, Tony hopped on the countertop next to his coffee machine, still grinning. It was so nice to hear her voice so he actually didn't pay attention to what she was saying as long as her voice was on the other side of the phone. But a loud beep from the coffee machine informed that the next cup of his coffee was ready and Tony almost choked at the current one he was drinking. _'She didn't hear that, did she?'_ he thought fast holding his breath but on the other side of the phone came a wired silence as if Pepper was listening to something.

"You were saying Pepper…" He asked fast, hoping that she didn't notice the hustle tone of his voice, he was trying to switch off that offending machine with his second hand.

Pepper held her breath for just a second, she knew that sound. She would know that sound even if she would be half awake. He was in the workshop and that sound was the coffee machine beeping the next cup ready. She was sure of that. "Tony where are you?" she asked. But she already knew he was lying.

'_Think fast, think fast_' Tony was thinking frantically, trying to come up with anything believable. He knew that she had heard that.

"In the kitchen…" he blurred out "Didn't you just say that the coffee was in the kitchen? I'm switching the coffee machine on…" It was so lame, he could hear it was lame but either he had lost his ability to lie or he didn't practice that for a long time. He just hoped that the 'boots wouldn't crash into something loud enough for her to hear that as well.

"Oh good… Since you found the coffee, can I go back to sleep?" She said slowly as if listening to something intently.

"Oh yes…" He answered automatically and regretted that the moment it left his mouth. He didn't want to let her go. Actually he was fighting the need to ask her to come here and spent time with him.

"Good…" She signed and he imagined her snuggling back into her bed. Somehow he wished to be there with her. Maybe he would even try to sleep again, or he would be doing something else… Oh God he was back with those thoughts of his PA which weren't so innocent. He was pretty sure he was done with that. '_I need to think something so she doesn't hung up_' he was thinking foggy.

"Oh… Potts I can't find the car keys of AUDI. Have you seen them anywhere?" He said the first thing that came to his mind, like he would bother to even look for them.

"Tony, are you going somewhere?" She questioned him slowly.

"No." He answered coming to his workplace and sitting in front of the computer. Maybe he would focus on something. Maybe he would start to make the new arc reactor and just let her sleep.

"So what for?" She asked again.

"No reason. They aren't in their usual place, did you play with my car when I was away?" He asked lightly playing with a screwdriver he found on his desk.

"What… Tony, what's really going on?" She asked tiredly and he really regretted waking her up. For all he knew, she was probably working her ass off the whole day and he was keeping her awake because he was too afraid to close his eyes.

"I'm bored…" He answered half truthfully. He was tired, afraid and was trying very hard to feel like home again.

"What happened to JARVIS?" She asked.

"He's being updated. Three months without a supervising parent will get you astray." He answered, muting the AI at the same time just in case it had a different opinion on that. At the same time Tony switched on his computer and started to think about the arc reactor.

"He was perfectly OK…" She answered fast without thinking. She had spent that three month period daily with the AI and hadn't noticed anything wrong with it.

"So you did play with my toys." Tony said, amused. He threw down the screwdriver and started working on the new project of the reactor.

"No I did not…" She was trying to explain.

"No need to explain… you can play with my toys whenever you want." He answered, he was starting to feel normal again. He was back again, bantering with his PA and it was giving him a nice feeling inside. God he missed her, he missed them. That last thought kind of scared him and excited him at the same time.

"Tony…" She warned.

"Pepper…" He mimicked her tone and was fighting the urge to laugh at her.

"What is really going on?" She asked after a long pause. There was something weird with the way he didn't let her to hang up and she began to worry. The silence on the other side of the receiver was very long; so long that Pepper even looked at the screen of her phone to check if she didn't lost the connection.

"Can't sleep…" Tony answered in a tired and sheepish voice. Pepper almost lost the ability to breathe hearing his voice. There was no playful tone there; instead there was pain and something else which she couldn't name.

"Oh…" She answered, not really knowing what she was supposed to say to him now. She just wished to be there with him. Maybe she shouldn't have left him alone today.

"Yeah…" Tony was trying to sound more like himself but his voice still had this wired edge.

"You want to talk about it?" She offered in a small voice. '_Maybe I will come there to you_' she was thinking but she didn't have the courage to propose that. Tony was silent for another long moment, then she heard him sigh with resignation.

"No, not really… I will let you go back to sleep." He said slowly, he didn't really know what he really wanted '_I think I would like you to be here_' he thought but he didn't find the words to say that at loud.

"Hey Tony, do you want… I don't know… to just talk?" Pepper offered one more time '_We don't need to talk about that, just talk to me, I will be there with you_' she was thinking when waiting for his answer.

"Do you mean it as you will tell me what you are wearing kind of talk, Potts?" Tony was fighting to go back to being his old self, there was nothing better than making his PA a little uncomfortable.

"You are not helping…" She answered fast but she smiled involuntarily, it was like talking with her old Tony. But she could still hear in his voice how much he needed to be his old self.

"Sorry… what do you want to talk about?" He questioned. He didn't know what he wanted to talk with her but as long as her voice was on the other side of the line, he didn't need to think about sleep or the lack of it.

"I would talk you through your week but since you kind of messed up today…" She started giving him the opportunity to try and explain his behavior on the press conference. They didn't have the time to talk about that yet.

"Oh yeah I'm sorry for that… that I didn't tell you what I was planning to do, I didn't know what I was supposed to say it was kind of an impulse…" He tried to explain himself. '_Wow it is the first time that I have a need to explain my behavior to anyone…'_ he thought, surprised.

"Yeah you are good at that…" She answered lightly, there was no reason to scold him in the middle of the night.

"I don't know if I'm supposed to thank you or to be offended…" He answered chuckling to himself, focusing his eyes on the screen when the first drafts of his new reactor where circling on the screen. He started typing frantically on the keyboard finally finding what he needed in his head. This talk with Pepper was making him relaxed enough to get back to work and only for that he should thank her in the morning.

"What are you doing?" She asked after a moment of silence during which she heard him pushing the buttons.

"Nothing much… I'm working on something." He answered, little distracted now when the idea sprang to his mind, he could focus only on that.

"That's nice…" she answered and tried to fight a yawn. Tony found his creative mode and he was no longer in need of her distraction.

"Hey Potts, I'm sorry I woke you up. I think I will let you sleep now…" He said distracted, playing with the pencil he had found on the desk and staring down on the screen where Jarvis was remodeling the setting of the reactor on the screen.

"It's very kind of you." she said sweetly.

"Goodnight Pepper." He focused again on the phone.

"Goodnight Tony… and Tony?" She added.

"Huh…"

"If you ever want to find that coffee again… Just say you want to talk. I would recognize the coffee machine in the workshop even in my sleeping state." She said fighting the urge to laugh at him.

"Thanks…" He answered sheepishly and hung up the phone. Then he focused his mind on his new invention on the screen, hoping that the morning would come faster than he thought.

* * *

**Note:** Please leave a review I really want to know what you think. I kind of know where I want this story to go but if you have any ideas feel free to write! PLEASE, PLEASE tell me what you think

-Ann


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